Tendre
by ghirseach
Summary: A young grisette has a tendre for a certain golden-haired revolutionary.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I shamelessly admit stealing a number of characters from _Les Misérables_ (I'm sure you will all recognise them). These characters obviously belong to Victor Hugo and not to me. Inspiration for the initial setting came from A Thenardier's Redemption.

Any characters you don't recognise from the books sprung from my imagination. I'd prefer you didn't steal them.

* * *

Élodie sat on the steps in front of a small bookshop, a crust of bread in her hand and a book in her lap. Occasionally she'd brush a strand of auburn hair from her pale blue eyes or a crumb from the book.

"_Excusez-moi, mademoiselle_?" The grisette looked up. In front of her stood a student she had seen at the bookshop many times before – he was still quite young, with an angelic face and golden hair. She knew him to study law; he often asked her to stitch his books.

"_Oui, monsieur_?" she replied politely.

"I apologise for disturbing you during your lunch hour, but would you perhaps have time to stitch this book for me today?" he asked. He pulled a tattered book out of his bag, and she carefully took it from him. It was an old copy of Rousseau's _The Social Contract_, which had obviously been read many times. The stitching had come loose, and some pages were threatening to slide from the book. She looked back at the student, who was looking somewhat anxious, and nodded.

"If you come back later in the afternoon, I will make sure I have finished," she replied. A smile formed on the student's lips as he thanked her and bid her good day. She smiled back, and then quickly finished her crust of bread. While she still had a half hour off, she knew stitching his book would take her some time. M. Dubois had obviously seen the interaction between his employee and the student outside, because he did not question her when she sat back into her corner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I shamelessly admit stealing a number of characters from _Les Misérables_ (I'm sure you will all recognise them). These characters obviously belong to Victor Hugo and not to me. Inspiration for the initial setting came from A Thenardier's Redemption.

Any characters you don't recognise from the books sprung from my imagination. I'd prefer you didn't steal them.

* * *

The grisette meticulously stitched the student's book, taking care that all the pages were kept firmly in place by the threads. When she finished a satisfied smile crossed her face – she was confident her work would hold a long time. She handed the book to M. Dubois, who winked at her.

"For your student?" he asked. She blushed, and nodded. The shopkeeper had obviously noticed the extra care she always had for the student's books, and deduced her _tendre_ for the young man from this fact. He was a friendly old man, who had hired Élodie three years ago – when she was only fifteen. She had always worked hard for him, and in turn he treated her almost like he would a daughter. She dutifully went back to stitching books for the shop, but kept an eye on the door in case the student would return. However, later that afternoon another familiar face entered the bookshop. It was one of the student's friends, and he offered her a friendly smile before turning to M. Dubois.

"I believe Enjolras dropped of his _Social Contract_ here earlier today?" M. Dubois nodded, handing the newly stitched book to the student. The student paid the fee, and thanked the shopkeeper. He then winked at Élodie, and left the shop again. She felt a bit disappointed that the student had not come by himself – the book had seemed so important to him that she had been certain he would pick it up himself. She shook her head, quickly continuing to stitch the book she had been working on when the student had entered. At the end of the day, M. Dubois handed her the week's wages, plus an extra franc.

"Your extra efforts for the students have not gone unnoticed," he said with a wink. She smiled, and securely placed the money in a small pouch around her neck, which she hid under her dress. M. Dubois then took her into the backroom, and spoke in a low voice: "Courfeyrac explained to me that they will need a number of pamphlets printed soon. They concern a more delicate subject than you are perhaps used to. If they were found in the shop, the police are likely to arrest the both of us." Élodie frowned.

"How did you answer him?" she asked.

"I am a Republican, Élodie," he answered. "That they trust me to print these pamphlets is a great honour to me. However, I told him that I could not and would not answer him until I had spoken with you." She bit her lower lip. She knew little of politics, but M. Dubois had told her that the Republicans fought for _liberté_, _egalité_ and _fraternité_. A world where everyone was free, where everyone was equal. For that, she was willing to take some risk.

"For the ideals you have taught me, I am willing to fight," she answered truthfully. M. Dubois smiled.

"Then prepare to see a lot more of your student," he said with a wink.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I shamelessly admit stealing a number of characters from _Les Misérables_ (I'm sure you will all recognise them). These characters obviously belong to Victor Hugo and not to me. Inspiration for the initial setting came from A Thenardier's Redemption.

Any characters you don't recognise from the books sprung from my imagination. I'd prefer you didn't steal them.

* * *

A few weeks later, Élodie was busily stitching a book. M. Dubois had left to run an errand, and had left the shop in her care. When the bell rang, indicating a customer, her heart skipped a beat when she realised that the student with the icy blue eyes had just entered.

"_Bonjour monsieur_ Enjolras," she said, putting the book down.

"_Bonjour mademoiselle_ Élodie," he replied politely. "Is M. Dubois not in?"

"_Non_, he has gone to run an errand. I expect he will return within the hour." The student hesitated. She realised that he had probably come for the pamphlets that Courfeyrac had dropped off a few days ago. She had spent two days stitching those pamphlets, always careful to keep a half-finished book nearby in case a customer would enter. She knew where M. Dubois kept the finished pamphlets.

"Are you here for the things _monsieur_ Courfeyrac brought in a few days ago?" she asked. The student nodded, a small smile of relief spreading over his fair face. "Just a moment then, _monsieur_, while I fetch them." She walked into the back room, picked up the pile of pamphlets, and carefully put them on the counter. The shopkeeper had been thoughtful enough to leave a note on the top of the pile which stated the price.

"These have been sewn well," the student said approving, running his fingers over the stitching. Élodie blushed.

"Thank you, _monsieur_," she said softly. The student then took out his purse, and gently placed four silver coins in the palm of her outstretched hand.

"The extra franc is for you, since you always sew the books and pamphlets for me and my friends so swiftly and so well," he said when she opened her mouth to protest. He took the pamphlets from the counter and put them in his bag before touching his hat respectfully. "Until we meet again, _mademoiselle_."

"_Au revoir, monsieur_," she replied, and curtsied before he turned around. When he had left, she placed the three francs in the till, and the extra franc in the pouch around her neck. The dreamy smile did not leave her face for the rest of the day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I shamelessly admit stealing a number of characters from _Les Misérables_ (I'm sure you will all recognise them). These characters obviously belong to Victor Hugo and not to me. Inspiration for the initial setting came from A Thenardier's Redemption.

Any characters you don't recognise from the books sprung from my imagination. I'd prefer you didn't steal them.

* * *

Music24601: Glad to see I already have a faithful follower :-) I hope you'll like the rest of the story, too!

Orestes_Fasting: I'm glad you like it so far. I'm also glad at your comments, the last of which made me aware of an error indeed: while this story is written in the third person, I originally intended to write it from Élodie's POV. However, with the amount of daydreaming she does/did it became so disgustingly sweet I switched rather soon. Apparently though I have unconsciously continued writing from her POV at least a little - Enjolras "gently" placing the coins in her hand is how she chooses to interpret his gesture. He, of course, simply hands her the money and leaves. I'll keep an eye out for them. As for the random French: I didn't realise it feels random. Because of the story's setting it feels natural to me to write greetings, titles and - on one occasion - the principles of the French Revolution in the "real" language spoken in the country. I hope you'll enjoy the rest though!

* * *

"Élodie?" The grisette looked up from the pamphlet she was stitching.

"_Oui, monsieur_?"

"Could you perhaps run an errand for me?" M. Dubois asked.

"Of course, _monsieur_," she answered. She was a bit confused – he would usually run any errands himself, letting her run the shop while he was away. However, she was happy that he would trust her with such a job, and walked up to the counter. M. Dubois handed her a bag full of pamphlets.

"Please, take these to the back room of Le Café Musain," he said, adding in a low voice: "And please, be careful." Élodie nodded. She had sewn these pamphlets, _monsieur_ Joly had brought them in a few days ago with a nervous look about him. She had not been allowed to sew them in the store, and had been sent to the back room to sew them by the light of a candle. This knowledge made sure she kept her guard up as she walked the busy streets of Paris. She had casually placed her hand over the bag to prevent any pickpockets from stealing any of them, and quickly made her way to the Rue Saint-Michel. When she had entered Le Café Musain, the bartender helpfully showed her the passage to the back room. She walked down the passage, and hesitantly knocked on the door at the end of the passageway.

"Who is there?" a clear voice asked through the door.

"I was sent by M. Dubois," she answered. The door opened, revealing the dim room filled with the students she had come to be so familiar with. Her heart skipped a beat when a pair of icy blue eyes met her pale blue ones. He gave her a curt nod, and she threw him a shy smile.

"Ah, you brought the pamphlets," Prouvaire said, tearing her attention away from Enjolras. He had long brown hair, which he tied back with a blue ribbon, and kind brown eyes. She handed him the bag, and he distributed the pamphlets among the students before handing her back the bag and a few francs. "Give M. Dubois our thanks, _mademoiselle_."

"Of course, _messieurs_," she answered, and curtsied before quickly quitting the room. The francs the young student had handed her were securely in her pocket, and the memory of the pair of icy blue eyes that she had found looking so kindly upon her was responsible for the spring in her step on her way back to the bookshop.


End file.
